Flying Home
by LolitaPop27
Summary: Dimitri Belikov, the senior editor from New York City, is flying to Los Angeles to open up another office for the magazine he works for. Complications with his flight occur and he ends up stranded in Golden Valley, Montana. Dimitri has two weeks to get back to the city or his job my be on the line.
1. Chapter 1

Tick-tock-tick-tock, click-click, click, tap, tap, tap, pop, creak, squeal!

It was the normal chorus of the daily office chores. The clock was ticking, people were pecking away at their keyboards, a phone was ringing, the intern in the copy room was smacking away at her gum, and a young man was tapping his pen against the desk insistently. It was as reassuring to Dimitri as it was distracting. The chairs squeaked and the sharpeners were buzzing; the solid slap on his desk jolted Dimitri back.

"Hey, man, you almost done? We've got a meeting in, like, ten minutes." Dimitri looked up to meet the stable blue eyes of Christian Ozera, his best friend. With a mocking smile, Dimitri nodded and left his work untouched. Christian couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's mood swings; the guy was PMSing all the time now that they were being sent down to California.

Both men laughed about the intern's stupid frilly skirt that would get her fired just on principle, and continued to make their way to the elevator hitting the button for the top level of _Trinity Affair _magazine.

_Trinity Affair_ was a magazine owned and funded by Dragon Corporations, the top in publications. The entire company was managed by one person, one person alone, and she had always been doubted. She succeeded in keeping the company alive; and now, it was spreading out from New York, which was why Dimitri and Christian had to go to several meetings in the past few months.

They headed up to the top floor and got out when the elevator dinged. Dimitri stepped out first and walked past the head secretary towards the main conference room on the left side of the hallway. Christian was right behind, but was hesitant to enter the conference room.

His sister, Natasha Ozera, was the head of the New York publications for _Trinity Affair_. Natasha was harsh and cruel and she hated screw ups, mainly Christian. Taking a deep breath, he followed Dimitri in shortly after.

They both sat on the far side of the table, by the ceiling to floor windows. Everyone, all seven, sat back in relief; Tasha wasn't there yet, which meant she was probably ruining someone else's life for the moment.

The relief was short lived, because after three minutes, she was walking through the double doors. They all straightened instantly, and Christian scooted further away from the head of the table.

"Thank you all for being prompt to this meeting. I apologize for being late, someone thought to waste my time with their personal issues. I'm here now, so we can get started." The table let out an uneasy laugh, Christian and Dimitri stayed silent and focused on Tasha.

"As you all know, Dragon Corporations has decided to spread their 'wings' and have _Trinity Affair_ distributed throughout the US. California is, of course, their first stop. Throughout the past few meetings we've discussed sending out a team to California to help the starting offices. If they succeed, they will be transferred there immediately; if not, the team will be pulled from the project and management will take over. That isn't something I want. If management gets their hands on this, I can promise you I _will_ make your lives miserable." The threat hung in the air and the room just soaked it in.

"Have you decided on who will be sent down?" Dimitri said, shattering the tension that was beginning to suffocate them. Tasha turned to Dimitri with a false smile.

"Of course; you, Christian, Tatiana, Meredith, Mason, and Avery will be flying down tomorrow morning. I'm not sorry about the short notice; life does tend to make unexpected turns every now and then." Her sickly sweet voice made Dimitri want to wretch, but he couldn't because this job paid very well, "You're all dismissed, oh and if you miss your flight tomorrow, I'll have your head!"

Christian tore out of the room and Dimitri watched as Tasha chastised Jillian for her pink ensemble. He made his way out with the rest of the group and smiled at Christian, who couldn't get the elevator door open fast enough. He caught up to Christian easily and pressed the down button. The doors slid open silently and Dimitri stepped in.

"I loosened it for you…"

"Loosened what? It was a button Christian. You can't loosen a button..." Christian grumbled a 'whatever' under his breath and pouted all the way back down to their floor.

-o.o-

"You've got to be kidding me! We have to stop in North Dakota? Why the hell do we need to stop in North Dakota? That doesn't even make sense…" Christian sat at his desk complaining over the email Natasha had sent out. Apparently, the head of Dragon Corporations was vacationing in North Dakota and wanted to oversee the operation herself. That meant that the plane would land in North Dakota to pick her up and then fly out to California from there.

Dimitri stayed silent, letting Christian fume out at him, "Does any of this make sense to you? Ugh, I hate my sister…" He looked over his stack of paperwork to see Christian slumped over his work.

"You do know that you need to get that all done tonight, right?" Christian sprung up.

"What? Damn… you're done aren't you? Of course you are, you freaking ninja! Want to do me a solid and help me out?"

"No, not really; good night Christian," Dimitri called out behind him as he left his desk to go back to his apartment.

"You son of a bitch; get back here, Belikov!"

He chuckled and left the office and then the building altogether. Heading straight to the car lot, Dimitri took off his coat and threw it over his shoulder. He loosened his tie with one hand and then popped open the first two buttons of his shirt.

Dimitri got into his car, started the engine, and pulled out of the space. He got back onto the road in record time and tore out through the streets as fast as he could in the late night traffic.

His apartment was about twelve miles away from his work, so it took him only a couple of minutes to get there. He pulled into the back car lot and headed up the stairs to his floor.

Once inside of his decent sized apartment, Dimitri flicked all of the lights on and tossed his coat onto the plain sofa that was tucked into the side of the living room. The small kitchenette housed his very modest collection of cookware and the mini fridge, which was practically empty. The living room, if you could call it that, had the sofa, a small coffee table, and the beat up TV that Christian gave to him. There was a small bathroom and bedroom in the apartment as well; Dimitri headed straight for the bathroom and started up the shower, letting the steam flow from under the spray into the rest of the high-rise.

He loosed his belt from his dress pants and wound it back up into a ball before tossing it onto his bed. He pulled off his socks, then stepped out of his pants and tossed them into the hamper right beside his bedroom door. Shrugging off his dress shirt, Dimitri breathed in the heavy steam. Lastly, Dimitri removed his briefs and stepped under the warm spray of the heated water.

His muscles easily relaxed and let go of all of the undue tension that they had built up during his hours at work. And although Dimitri missed the busy chorus of office activities, he enjoyed the soft hum of his heater and the soft pitter patter of spraying water.

He finished his shower and wrapped an old towel around his waist, before padding into the kitchenette barefoot to hunt down some food. Dimitri made due with the day old Chinese food and heated it back up in his microwave before plopping down on the sofa. He leaned back and flicked on the TV, relaxing to the chatter of news.

It was going to be a long day tomorrow… _Definitely…_

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, here is the very short first chapter of Flying Home! I really hope you enjoy! This story was brought on by the marvelous Tatiana Belikova; she is truly awesome! Go check out her stories :)**

**Please review, for me, because it'd make me happy. And it may just make you happy as well. You never know! **

**I hope you had a great Christmas, if you celebrate that is. I hope everyone had a great break so far! :) I'll be updating soon… hopefully!**

**-Lolita**


	2. Chapter 2

'_U__h- Dimitri? Dude, you should pick up your phone cause… well, you're late and now I'm late for waiting for your sorry ass and I didn't get any sleep last night because you wouldn't help file any of my paperwork; way to be a friend. Anyways, my sister is going to be hanging you by your balls over her fireplace; it was nice knowing you dude. See you in the afterlife!'_

"Oh shit-!" Dimitri sprung up from the couch, where he had passed out last night, in a hurry. He threw the towel into the hamper and raced to his room to grab his suit off the rack. Dimitri's eyes wandered to the clock every third second, hoping that maybe time would stop just for him. With no such luck, Dimitri was out of his apartment in the next five minutes with a half-packed bag of whatever his fingers had touched first.

As he raced out to the car lot, his neighbor called out to him.

"Dimitri, dear, you won't make it in your car. Call a cab; they'll break traffic laws if you pay them enough!" Alberta winked before heading back into her home. So, thanks to her expert advice, Dimitri ditched his car and tried to flag down a cab.

When one finally took notice of him, he hopped into it like the energizer bunny, "If I pay you fifty bucks extra, could you make it to JFK in ten minutes?"

"That's, like, way out there buddy. One hundred and fifty bucks; that's how much it'll cost extra."

"Stan… if you value your license… One hundred; you owe me for the Manhattan incident."

"Whatever, pretty boy. Get your ass up here; I've got to get your butt to the airport…" Dimitri grinned like the devil and went around getting in the front seat. And with some chatter, arguing and a whole lot of traffic, they made it the air port in one piece.

"Thank you Stan!" Dimitri called back after throwing a handful of twenties at the driver. Dimitri slid his backpack on his left shoulder and pulled his mini suitcase along. He had to check in his bags and then get to security before the flight took off.

The check-in for luggage was annoying; the overly flamboyant assistant refused to take his suitcase because it was 'too big'.

"I'm sorry sir, but we can't take your luggage. It's 11339.8 pounds!" The man began to hand the bag back, and Dimitri lost his patience.

"If it weighed that much, you wouldn't be able to pick it up… Look at the scale again." And sure enough, when the man weighed it in again, he finally took notice that it was set to grams.

"Oh, that makes so much more sense! That's only 25 pounds, sir!" His bright and cheery face sickened Dimitri.

"Yes, I am well aware of that. I did check the bag myself." Dimitri huffed off once the bag was safely placed on the conveyor belt, leaving the check-in man flustered and at a loss.

Dimitri quickly scoured the area and found the security line; it was almost as long as the line to get into Disneyland… You have got to be kidding me! Dimitri got into the line and he could absolutely not stop fidgeting. Grabbing his phone from his back pocket, he dialed Christian's number.

"Dude! Where the hell are you? Meredith just ate three whole corndogs in less than five bites and now she's hurling in the-" Dimitri cut in as quickly as he could before Christian went into a very detailed description of the hell Meredith was experiencing.

"Christian, I'm in security right now. How much longer do I have?"

"Not long dude; plane's getting ready for take-off. You have… maybe five minutes?" Dimitri growled into the phone, several people in line turning to look at him oddly, and snapped it shut. He waved over one of the security guards.

"I need to get through now. It's a matter of life or death." He showed no humor in his expression, and yet despite that the woman laughed at him.

"Are you out of your mind? You have to wait in line like everybody else." She walked off with a haughty smile and went back to harassing passengers for having too much liquid in their baggage. Dimitri stood there, ready to murder, when another line opened up.

He watched in dismay, but perked up when the security guard waved him over, "Lucky you; the line opened up…" She directed him to place his bag in a bin. Dimitri got through security without any issues after. He grabbed his back pack, fixed his tie, and ran up the escalator to get to gate 28.

It was too late… Dimitri stared in dismay at the plane less gate. Slumping against one of the abandoned chairs, Dimitri went numb. My one job… and I screw it up…

"Dude… What the hell?" Dimitri looked up.

What the hell was Christian doing here? "I thought you said I had only five minutes!"

"Oh… yeah, that was for the original flight. Didn't you read the email Tasha sent out this morning? She rescheduled our flight to meet up with the head boss in North Dakota." Christian deliberately avoided looking at Dimitri; he was trying to look anywhere but at him because if looks could kill, Christian would have been mauled by a pack of wolves, pecked at by vultures, dropped in a volcano, left with a nest of angry bees… Rinse and repeat…

"Dimitri, is it really my fault? You- well… okay fine! Don't kill me!" Dimitri got up and walked away from Christian. He didn't need this today.

The plane was ready for them in the next ten minutes; Tasha had switched them from economy to first class, so they had a lot of room to themselves. A very pale Meredith sat with Mason in the very front of their cabin. She sat in the aisle while Mason clutched the dear life out of the armrests. Stan played the loner card, and sat in the corner with a big dusty book. Tatiana and Avery were currently working on yet another project for _Trinity Affairs_; they both opted to stay near each other in the back. That left only three seats left; the two across from Meredith and Mason, and the one next to Stan. It was obvious enough that Dimitri and Christian weren't fighting for the one next to Stan.

Once everyone settled down, the pilot started the plane's engines and the entire aircraft hummed to life. Christian buckled himself in and waved back to Avery, who promptly gave him the bird.

"Wow, Avery hates me today… You know you're lucky you didn't actually miss the flight. Tasha would have killed me for not getting your butt in this plane… I'm shuddering at the thought!" Christian faked a shudder, earning a small smile from Dimitri, and turned to Meredith to torment her further on the subject of corndogs.

Dimitri laid back and let the soft sounds of chatter lull him into sleep…

-o.o-

"Hey! Dimitri time to get up; we're in North Dakota right now. We have to get onto another plane!" Christian shook Dimitri again before shrugging and exiting the plane, leaving the slumbering Russian to the stewardess. The young girl looked to Avery, who was finishing the last pieces of her project.

"Don't look at me; I could care less if he sleeps through his next plane."

"Um- but… we have another flight to get ready for…" She trailed off, seeing the hate in Avery's narrowed eyes.

"Whatever!" Avery got up and kicked Dimitri in the shins, "Hey, you big lug! Get up right now!" Dimitri stirred. He opened his eyes and yawned sleepily.

"What is it now Avery?"

"You're going to miss the next flight… go grab your suitcase in baggage claim and we'll meet you at gate 39." She left Dimitri rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. Shit! I have to get my bags….

Dimitri grabbed his backpack and headed down to baggage claim. Christian, oddly enough, was there grabbing random luggage. He looked up and smiled at Dimitri.

"Looks like you finally woke up! Did you even sleep last night? Because you were out like a light once we got into the air!"

"No… Why are you here? I thought you were going to the gate with the rest of the group…"

"Well, I was, but then this girl came out of nowhere and she's… well, she's really cute. I'm helping her get her luggage; she's outside taking a call," Christian's eyes were full of light as he spoke of the mystery girl, "She's getting on our plane too! Bet you ten bucks she's a part of the second team!"

"Wait- there's another team going to California?"

"Do you even read the emails Tasha sends out?" Christian looked away from Dimitri to wave at the mystery girl.

She walked over with a big smile, "I'm so sorry! Thank you for helping me out. They said they couldn't send my bags to California from my house; I can only wear Ralph Lauren so many times until it gets old!" Christian chuckled, but Dimitri knew for a fact that Christian did not think that was funny, "Oh, well. I have to get to my gate. Where are you boys headed?"

"Gate 39!" Christian cheered. Dimitri rolled his eyes and watched the luggage carousel expectantly, wanting his suitcase to roll around so he could get away from Christian's oh-so-obvious crush.

"I'm headed that way too. Why don't the three of us go together?" Christian, yet again, showed his enthusiasm intensely. "Oh! I almost forgot! My name is Vasilisa Dragomir; it's a pleasure to meet the both of you!" She threw in a curtsey, which only made Christian's smile wider (if that was even possible).

Dimitri just raised an eyebrow at their interactions. Vasilisa, or Lissa as Christian eagerly insisted, was a short blonde with vibrant jade eyes. She had pale skin and a voice that would get on Dimitri's nerves if she kept talking, but he kept his distaste to himself.

Throughout all of the chatter, Dimitri suddenly realized his luggage had yet to make an appearance. He left the two to their babbling and circled the carousel, trying to find his bag.

"Belikov, we need to go soon if we're going to make the plane."

"I- I can't find my bag!" Christian looked away from Lissa incredulously.

"You're joking… please tell me you're joking!" Dimitri shook his head and looked at his watch. "Damn it, Dimitri! Where the hell is it? We have to go!"

Dimitri ignored Christian's anger and headed to the 'HELP' desk at the back of baggage claim. "Excuse me, I can't find my bag. Is it possible for you to track its whereabouts?" The assistant nodded her head and keyed in the code Dimitri gave her.

"I'm sorry sir, but your bag is currently in Golden Valley, Montana." Dimitri glared at the monitor that showed the plane his bag decided to stow away on.

"We can offer you a complimentary flight out if you want sir. There's an 8:30 one tonight and a 5:29 flight tomorrow morning..." Dimitri nodded his assent and went back to Lissa and Christian.

"I'm going to fly down to Golden Valley; that's where my bag went. Don't worry about Tasha; I'll deal with her… somehow. There's supposed to be a flight tomorrow morning that I'll get on to get to California… See you tomorrow…" Christian nodded and left Dimitri in baggage claim to call Tasha.

_She's going to murder me…_ He reluctantly dialed Tasha's number and hit send, with a little too much force. The ringing made him feel exceptionally nervous and he was about to hang up. Just as he was going to end the call, Tasha picked up.

"Dimitri? Is everything alright? Shouldn't you be on the plane right now? So help me, if you missed that plane-" Dimitri didn't get to hear the rest of the threat because he cut in quickly.

"No! My suitcase was sent to Montana and I… I have to go and…" He couldn't find the right words, but it didn't matter; Tasha was already pissed.

"Get your ass on that plane, Belikov!"

"Tasha, I can't. My bags are in Montana-"

"I heard that already; good for you. Get on the plane! I need you in California, Dimitri. You're the only one who can keep those fools in line!" She sounded desperate on the other end, but Dimitri knew better. Tasha was trying to gain sympathy from Dimitri for her 'situation'.

"I already missed the flight. I'm going to Montana tonight and I'll take the morning flight back to California. The most trouble that they'll get themselves into would be breaking into the staff break room and eating all of the sweets. They are like children; no harm will come from them."

"You better hope that's true, Belikov, or it'll be your neck!" The phone went dead in his hand and Dimitri felt chills run down his spine from the uncensored anger he felt in her voice. _Natasha is going to kill me!_

-o.o-

It felt like hours until the plane to Golden Valley was ready for lift off, probably because it was hours… Dimitri went to gate 81, the quietest gate in the terminal. The lights were dim and flickering and felt abandoned; no one but Dimitri was there.

When the plane finally showed up, Dimitri was shocked. The plane was one of those miniature cargo planes! _This can't be real…_

The plane began to touch down and was being refueled. The pilot, a bitter looking woman came out and sat down on one of the many chairs in the gate.

"Kid, the plane will be ready in… like ten minutes; relax." That did nothing for Dimitri's nerves though.

Sure enough, ten minutes later the plane was ready to be boarded. Dimitri sat in the first seat, as there were no seating arrangements to be made, and plopped down watching as the only other passenger got on the plane, a plump man and his yapping Chihuahua. It was going to be a long night…

Dimitri eventually fell asleep, shortly after the dog had been silenced, and had rested peacefully. They had landed without a hitch and the rounded man left the plane and ran into the small 'airport'. Dimitri quickly found out why; it was raining.

He ducked under one of the wings of the cargo plane to get into the dry shelter. The doors slammed shut behind him and the pilot reopened the doors, letting a gust of icy air to freeze the room, before closing them soundlessly behind her.

"Welcome to Golden Valley, Montana; home to eight hundred and twenty-five citizens! I hope you had a marvelous flight and a wonderful evening."

"Excuse me; do you know where baggage claim is? And if there's a hotel I can stay at till tomorrow morning?" The pilot looked at him funny and gestured to a pile of random bags.

"That would be 'baggage claim' and there aren't any hotels open this late."

"There isn't a single one?"

"Nope; enjoy your night here sir." With that, the pilot walked off and left Dimitri shivering in the waiting room/'baggage claim'.

He snagged his bag and sat off in the corner hoping to catch a wink of sleep. Of course, it avoided him and he sat up all night eager to leave this never ending nightmare.

**Author's Note:**

**Okay… so I make it sound like Golden Valley is hell. It's probably not; I've never been there myself. And I'm almost positive that Golden Valley is a highway… :( I looked it up a while ago and it was a town, but when I Google mapped it, it was a highway… So confused…**

**Well, there are many things I'd like to say. Happy (Late) New Year's! Woohoo! x)**

**Thank you to Guest, roseskyangel, pd, juju76, Tatiana Belikova, , luckylaurax, Lil Belikov, Roza Rocks, Rose-loves-Dimitri, Guest, and Guest! Um… How about Guest 1, Guest 2, and Guest 3? Haha, thank you guys for reviewing and being so interested with the story!**

**Penguins!**

**Thank you for reading! Please review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Hell. That is the only way to properly describe what Dimitri was going through. He spent all night in an uncomfortable plastic chair in an uncomfortably stuffy room in an uncomfortable 'airport' surrounded by uncomfortably close people, who had magically swarmed over night. It was hell.

Dimitri got up and stretched his legs, watching the other possible passengers mingle amongst themselves. As he walked past a group of chattering old women, they looked up and giggled. Dimitri turned quickly and headed to the restroom.

Dimitri stared into the mirror and pulled his hair back into a ponytail that curled at the end. He then looked back up and let out a long and very tired yawn. Checking his watch, Dimitri turned away from the mirror and left the restroom. It was 5:26 in the morning and Dimitri was itching to get back on the plane.

The first thing Dimitri noticed when he exited the restroom was that the 'airport' had turned into a ghost town. This cannot be good… He took a deep breath and pitched the bridge of his nose.

_Somewhere, someone is laughing at my misfortune…_ Dimitri continued his walk back to his bag. He snatched it up and walked over to the security guards talking amongst themselves.

"Excuse me, what's happening?"

"You must have been in the bathroom; we don't have speakers in there yet. The plane isn't going to fly today. I'm sorry sir… We were loading up the passengers and the dang plane just didn't want to start up; the engine's bust or something."

"I'm sorry; did you say I won't be flying back today?"

"Yes, I did say that…"

"Thank you," was all Dimitri was able to grit out before storming out into the bleak morning. It had to have been storming last night because it was a watery hell… Dimitri ended up going back inside for directions to the nearest hotel.

"Well, we don't have hotels, but the two nearest places to stay would be Golden Valley Inn and Hathaway Ranch." She smiled at Dimitri again. Dimitri's ears perked up at the reference of an Inn.

"Can I have directions to the Inn?" The guards looked at Dimitri, shocked for a moment before they composed themselves.

"I'm sure you'd rather go to the ranch…" She looked very unsure about the Inn.

"No thank you. I'll take the directions to the Inn though." Dimitri watched as the argument in her eyes died down.

"I'll give you both just in case you change your mind sir." She handed Dimitri a slip of paper with the two addresses on it and Dimitri took it with a nod. He left the 'airport' and called a cab to pick him up.

Dimitri was beginning to question the sanity of everyone when his cab driver was reluctant to drive him to the Inn. The man left the second Dimitri got out of the car and Dimitri just shook his head.

He walked up to the door and rang it twice before entering the establishment. It was a nice Inn; there was about four acres or so all around the house and it smelled of freshly cut grass. When Dimitri got inside, it was open and spacious; he knew he picked the right place to stay.

Overly joyous and happy, Dimitri was smiling when he was stopped by an older looking woman. She was tall and elegant with bright red hair and azure blue eyes. She stopped him with a soft touch on his arm.

"May I help you?" She was cheerful in that odd way; like when someone was smiling in church or laughing during prayer. Whatever the case, Dimitri felt ill at ease in the woman's presence.

"I was looking for the check-in; I'd like to spend a night here."

"Oh, well, lucky you. My name's Sonya Karp and I own this Inn. How may I help you young man?" Dimitri couldn't help the uncomfortable smile that took over his entire face. He stepped back as Sonya stepped forward.

"I just need a room…"

"Mmmm… Well, Mikhail will be back from the cemetery soon… He likes to hang around there; weird old man. Have you seen my kitten, Mr. Sparkles?" Sonya abruptly turned away from Dimitri and headed off into another part of the Inn. He followed her closely and went into the same room as her, only to find himself face to face with about a million cats.

Sonya was near the back of the room and Dimitri's stomach suddenly sank.

"Sonya? When was the last time you saw Mikhail?" That got Sonya's attention instantly. She looked up suddenly, her eyes wide with confusion.

"Mikhail? Well, I haven't seen him in years. He died about nine years ago trying to fix our roof. Fell right off and snapped his neck; didn't you hear?" Dimitri nodded and left the room, in a hurry to get to his bag.

"Oh, where are you going honey? Mikhail will be back soon; he does have to fix that roof…" That only hurried Dimitri. He did not want to spend another minute in the loony bin with her.

Dimitri left the Inn feeling worse than he did when he first went in. He hoped that the ranch was not going to be a similar case. With that in mind, he headed off in the general direction of where the ranch was located.

-o.o-

Finally, an hour and a half later, Dimitri had made it to Hathaway Ranch. He had gotten lost on his way there and had to be redirected time and time again by a group of sketchy looking men; Dimitri knew they had laughed behind his back. It didn't matter anymore though, because he was finally where he was supposed to be, Hathaway Ranch; even the name got him excited.

He walked through the large wooden fence opening and went up the dirt path all the way to the front of an expensive looking farmhouse. Right by the door was an old wooden swing with a young woman swinging back and forth on it reading a tabloid magazine.

"Hello! Are you Rose Hathaway, the owner of the farm?" The woman looked up and smiled easily.

"Oh, no; I'm just a mom. But, Rose should be back soon! Are you here for the horseback riding lesson?" Dimitri stared at the lady; why in the hell would he come here for horseback riding lessons?

"Um… What?" But, before the mom could answer, a large white beast came galloping at them. The mother sat there calmly a wide smile on her face while Dimitri shrank back at the massive creature. Thankfully, the animal calmed and trotted next to the mother and the young girl atop of the brute squealed happily down to her mother.

"Momma, momma! Did you see that? Rose taught me how to ride Ryder!" She went on about Rose, which furthered Dimitri's curiosity about the owner of the ranch.

The little girl giggled again when another large horse came dashing towards them; this one though, showed no signs of stopping. Though it looked like the steed was about to slam right into Dimitri, it was able to make a graceful stop. The horse whinnied and snorted, trotting in a small circle, before planting his hooves down firmly. He stayed put while another girl, this one older, swung her legs over him and jumped down.

The older girl… she really was an eyeful. Her chestnut brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail, though a few strands had escaped and were feathering around her face. She had a beautiful face with soft lips and wide chocolate eyes; with sweat in her brow, she looked perfect. A soft yellow tank top, dark wash low rise jeans, and brown leather boot; the first image of her that would forever be imprinted in Dimitri's mind.

"Hi there; let me just finish up here and I'll be right with you. Go inside and help yourself to anything in the fridge, pantry or anything edible on the counter." Her bright smile threw Dimitri into a haze.

"Uh… um- Yes; I'll be inside… waiting for you… to come and talk to me that is!" He spun around quickly and went inside. Through the window Dimitri could see the girl, Rose, smiling and laughing with the mother and her daughter. When they left, Rose went around back with Ryder and her horse.

"So, you want to learn how to ride a horse?" Rose said incredulously.

"I didn't see you come in…" Dimitri said, hoping that was explanation enough for jumping at the sound of her voice.

"Back door; but, you want to ride?"

"No, I'm just here for housing…" _And maybe a date or two… _He thought to himself, "I'll only be here for a day, two tops. The plane engine failed and I couldn't get another flight…"

Rose looked up shocked, "We have a plane?"

"Yes…" _How much does she even know about her town?_

"Oh… Okay. I assume you came from the Inn, right?"

"Yes…" _And I will _not_ be returning there anytime soon!_

"Good, let's go. If you just came from there, Sonya will still be around." Dimitri stared at Rose, his mouth agape.

"I don't think…" But he was cut off with a firm tug to his sleeve. With no other words shared, Dimitri was being dragged outside and into a garage that housed a rather large and old looking pick-up truck.

"Well that's too bad!" And they were off. What took Dimitri an hour and a half to get walk and get lost, Rose did in three minutes. She sped down her dirt path and out onto the open road where she made a series of jerky turns that had Dimitri reaching for the 'panic bar'.

They made it to Golden Valley Inn just as Sonya was heading back inside. Rose stopped the truck abruptly, sending Dimitri crashing into the glove box, and ran outside to meet with Sonya. _Okay, so maybe she isn't sane at all. She could be raving mad and wants to eat me alive… _He exited the car and watched silently as the two laughed and hugged happily.

"Hey! Mister Suit come on inside! She doesn't bite!"

"My name isn't Mr. Suit."

"Comrade, maybe?"

"What? No, it's Dimitri Belikov."

"Then why don't you join us inside, Dimitri?" Rose held out her hand and waited for him to take it. Even if she is crazy, she's still very beautiful…

"Alright…" They followed Sonya inside and Dimitri gulped as he saw the ocean of cats following the trio into the kitchen.

Rose went around Sonya; she was picking things up and moving them to different places, searching for something. While Rose made a mess on the counters, Sonya invited Dimitri to sit next to her. The once crazy looking woman looked normal. She had a small smile spread across her face as she watched Rose wreak havoc in the cupboards.

"I'm sorry for frightening you. I thought our little Rose could use a friend… I hope you don't mind." Dimitri didn't get a chance to respond, mostly due to the fact that Sonya didn't want his input, "She's been living in that house for… all her life. We don't want Rose to be alone anymore, especially since that no good-"

"Sonya? Where do you keep the coffee? I can't find it anywhere," Rose looked up at the two, sugar and pepper spilled all over the counter, and laughed when she knocked over the salt.

Sonya got up and grabbed a random bag in the dead center of the counter and placed it in Rose's hands, "That would be the coffee, dear."

-o.o-

After the mess had been cleaned and the coffee had been made, Rose joined Sonya and Dimitri with two steaming cups. She handed one to Dimitri and the other to Sonya, before going back and grabbing her own.

The three sat in silence, Sonya slurping the cup's contents occasionally. Dimitri stared at the cup doubtfully. It looked too murky to be coffee, and smelled too sweet. He carefully took a sip and choked on the liquid.

"This is not coffee!" he sputtered out. Although it was no longer steaming, it was boiling hot, "This is hot chocolate!" Rose met his accusatory gaze and then looked back down at her cup. She brought it to her lips and took a cautious sip.

"So it is…" She then shrugged and downed the cup in a gulp. Rose went back to the sink with her now empty cup and Sonya's and washed them out. Dimitri just set his on the counter.

Rose turned back towards them, "Okay, we'll leave as soon as I fix the roof. Is that alright, Dimitri?" He just nodded and went back outside, too exhausted to deal with anything more. He just wanted to get into a bed and sleep till next month.

Rose came out of the house with a ladder and a mouthful of nails; Sonya followed her with large wooden planks.

"Shouldn't a professional come out and do this?"But no one was listening to him. Rose got up the ladder and began her climb to the very top of the roof. Dimitri felt nervous just watching her.

_I just met her, and I… Why is my life so weird? _Dimitri watched her, leaning against her truck, take the planks from Sonya. Rose seemed confident in her ability to fix the roof while straddling it. The hammer hit home and she shook from the force.

Rose finished quickly and got up from her seat on the roof, "It's all done, Sonya!" Sonya smiled up and went inside, leaving Rose alone with Dimitri outside.

Rose moved towards the ladder to get down and her foot caught. She tumbled down with a fierce cry. Dimitri charged forward and barely caught Rose in time; she was shaking like a leaf in his arms and looked beyond spooked.

"Rose? Are… are you alright?" Concern overtook Dimitri. He felt the need to help and protect Rose overpowering his better judgment.

"I-I'm… I'm fine. I…" Rose couldn't look at Dimitri; her eyes stayed low to the ground.

"Do you want me to drive us back?" He could tell; Rose was absolutely shaken to the core. He brushed a few strands of her hair away from her eyes.

"Please?" Dimitri carried her back to the truck and buckled her into the passenger seat. When Dimitri got into the driver's seat, Rose's hand made its way to his sleeve again and it clung for dear life.

-o.o-

The sun was low and disappearing on the horizon when they made it back to the ranch. Rose's eyes fluttered with exhaustion, but she made it all the way back inside before collapsing on the sofa.

"There's a guest room down the hall. Sheets should be in the closet and a towel should be in the attached bathroom. Holler if you need anything." Dimitri left Rose resting on the couch and headed to the guest room.

It was spacious and had a desk for laptop, so Dimitri was happy. He unpacked all of his things and placed his laptop on its charger. Dimitri then made it his mission to find another outlet for his phone charger; the only other one in the room was behind the bed. He plugged it in and went into the bathroom to get changed. When he reentered the room, something smelled like it was burning.

He rushed out to find Rose flipping through the channels, so he went back to his room. _Then where the hell did that smell come from- _As he opened the door back into the guest room, Dimitri was greeted by a cloud of smoke.

"ROSE!"

-o.o-

"Why would you use the outlet behind the bed?" Rose wasn't angry, she was just confused, "Dimitri, it's common knowledge to not put- Why am I explaining this to you?" She grabbed him and tossed him into her room.

"You're sleeping here tonight; no 'buts'!" She left in a huff. Dimitri looked around the room. It had its own bathroom and was slightly bigger than the guest; though the bed was a queen… Feeling more than a little curious, Dimitri looked over Rose's photos.

There were several of a woman with auburn hair and brown eyes next to a man with black hair and brown eyes. In all of the pictures they featured in, they were smiling and holding one another close. Then there were two of another man; this one with brunette hair and emerald green eyes. He looked young in both photos; one he starred in alone, the other he held Rose tightly smiling brightly.

"What are you doing?" Rose had reentered the room and Dimitri had the picture of her and the green eyed man clutched in his hand.

"I was… I was looking at this." He waved the photo at her, "Who is he?"

"A non-committed loser; it doesn't matter who he is. What matters is that you need to hand over one of those pillows; preferably the fluffiest one." Her harsh gaze turned soft at the mention of the pillows and Dimitri set the photo down to grab the biggest one. He tossed it to her and she caught it with ease.

"See you in the morning!"

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"Couch; go to bed."

-o.o-

Dimitri couldn't go to sleep. It was nearly impossible. His legs were numb and his head was buzzing with anxiety. The pillows smelled of soft lilies and rain, and the sheets were the same; he felt out of place.

In an attempt to rid the restless feelings, Dimitri got out of bed and went for a walk around the house. He passed by the guest room, which was now a soggy mess due to Rose throwing water on the fire (despite it being an electrical fire), and continued on to the kitchen.

He grabbed a glass of water and cringed at how loud the ice was when it went into the cup. Dimitri took a swig and left the kitchen feeling less anxious and more relaxed. Passing by the living room, he could see Rose curled up into a ball. He felt bad when she shivered and went to go wake her up.

Rose slept like the dead; the girl would not wake up! That led to Dimitri just carrying her back to her room. _I'm the guest; it's obvious that I should be sleeping on the couch_. That's what Dimitri told himself to rationalize taking her back into her room.

Once Rose was tucked away under the sheets, Dimitri began to back away from the bed. A slim hand snatched his wrist and held on tightly.

"Don't go…" Dimitri looked down and saw that Rose was still fast asleep, but he listened to her mumblings and crawled into the bed with her. _What's the worst that could happen? _But Dimitri knew that shouldn't have pushed it.

Still, he relaxed against the back of the bed, Rose resting her head on his chest, and closed his eyes. Yes, he knew that his phone was buzzing like crazy, but he could afford to disappear into Rose's scent for one night…

**Author's Note:**

**I feel like this chapter has been all over the place… I apologize for that! :) I'm really curious how you (the reader) feel about this… I mean, I'm pretty sure all of the characters are OOC. Though I could see Tasha yelling at someone for wearing pink! :)**

**Thank you to Tatiana Belikova (yes, you did get the first review! x)), Rose-loves-Dimitri, 03BonnieAndClyde, Enchantress21, Guest, RozaRocks, Guest (2), , and Do'B (for your review for chapter 1)! Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

**Pst! Penguin babies are adorable! **

**-Lolita**


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, so maybe he shouldn't have fallen asleep in Rose's bed with Rose cuddled into his side, but he couldn't help it! Rose was beautiful, and so what if they had only met yesterday? Some people get together in a shorter time than that! _Yes, but I'm not 'some people'. I'm an editor for Trinity Affair magazine and I can't go eloping off with a country girl! Not that I was dreaming about eloping off with a country girl_…

But it was about time Dimitri noticed that while he was playing the big role of editor for the snide and bitchy Natasha Ozera, his life was wasting away! Dimitri knew what he wanted, and that was to argue with someone and make up with them, to laugh at corny jokes and use cheesy pick-up lines just to see that someone smile! He knew what he wanted, but… _do I really want that?_

-o.o-

His phone was what woke him up; the chirping device fighting for attention with the comfortable sleep that Dimitri had so wanted; but, in the end, the chirping won and Dimitri woke up with a half stifled yawn and a frustrated groan. 26 missed calls from Natasha, 38 from Christian, 1 voicemail from Natasha, 1 voicemail from Alberta, and three text messages from Christian.

The main point of Natasha's calls were to harp on him for missing the plane and how painful his demise would be at her hands, whereas Christian only meant to warn Dimitri about said threats. Alberta, being the lady she was, only called to tell him that he left the water running in his bathroom and that she turned it off for him.

Dimitri's phone began to chirp in his hand again and he looked down to see that it was Christian.

"Yeah, yeah; I know that I should be there right now, but I'm not. And to roughly quote our favorite person in the world, I won't apologize for the short notice; life does tend to take unexpected turns." He stopped to stifle a laugh.

Christian, on the other hand, laughed himself right out of his chair (or so Dimitri guessed by the loud clatter and the telltale sign of Tasha's yelling).

"Wait- is Tasha down there with you?" Dimitri looked back to see if he had woken Rose, but when he turned she wasn't there. Patting the sheets to see if they were still warm, he found them ice cold.

"Yup! You sure got Tasha frazzled; everyone's being working overtime to keep her somewhat sane. I emailed you the latest project. You need to… Are you listening?" Dimitri was not; in fact he was looking for Rose.

"Dimitri, man, I need you to pay attention."

"Can't; I have to find someone…" he trailed off, walking out of Rose's bedroom and into the kitchen.

"Who in the world do you know in Montana that you would be trying to find?" Christian sounded frustrated at the lack of a response from Dimitri and tried again to regain Dimitri's attention. He wasn't succeeding.

Christian was still trying to salvage any sort of conversation they might have had. While Christian was trying to talk to him, Dimitri found Rose in the kitchen sanding over the stove. He closed the phone on  
Christian and tossed it aside on the couch; he had no use for it now that he had found Rose.

He watched Rose carefully, noticing how her shoulders tensed at the sound of his footsteps.

"How are you?" It was a tentative question; Dimitri was excited because he was able to be next to Rose all night, but afraid that she would bite hi head off.

"I think what you really want to ask is if I'm angry," she huffed out, "And why should I? You just carried me into bed and slept next to me. I mean why should I be angry? I'm clearly not angry!" Her shoulders were shaking and it became obvious to Dimitri that Rose was scared.

"I would never hurt you, Rose."

"I hardly know you; how can I trust you?" Although the words were true, they hurt Dimitri. He couldn't help but feel betrayed as well…

"I burnt the eggs…" Her muttered words filled the silent air and Dimitri looked down at his bare feet.

"Who was that man in the picture? The man with the green eyes…"

"Why are you so obsessed with him? Adrian is nothing!" She grunted before turning to go back to her room. Rose the slammed the door shut and it only took a few seconds for Dimitri's head to catch up to his feet; she slammed it in his face.

Staring at the door awkwardly, Dimitri rapped twice before explaining to Rose that his clothes were in the room still. Not ten seconds later the door had been flung open and a duffel bag was tossed at his face.

"Get dressed"

Dimitri sighed and walked back to the living room to get changed. He lifted the hem of his shirt over his head, exposing his chest and began to lift it off.

"My, my; are you going to be giving me a show? I do like my men tall, dark, and handsome." Pushing his shirt back down, Dimitri stared down Sonya, who was leaning against the door frame with a smirk highlighting her face.

"When are you going to make moves on my dear Rosie? You haven't got much time left," Continued Sonya. Her wild eyes darted from him to the hallway leading to Rose's room.

"I hardly know her and she seems more than happy to have me out of here."

"Good luck with that."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" But Sonya just shrugged her shoulders and walked into the hallway.

"It means whatever you want it to mean." She called back, "Oh and you really should change in the bathroom; there might be crazy people watching you undress!"

Dimitri could still hear her laughing, even as the door to Rose's room closed. You're the only crazy person in the town…

-o.o-

"Rose! You cannot wear that when you have that gorgeous man around you! Take it off right this instant young lady!" Sonya narrowed her azure eyes distastefully at Rose's clothes. She had planned to wear sweats and an old ratty t-shirt.

"What does it matter? I'm only going to be working on the ranch today! I do have a job." Sonya blew Rose's comment off like it didn't matter; because in Sonya's mind, it didn't.

Sonya pulled out a light yellow sundress with frills along the hem. Rose physically cringed away from the dress as soon as it came into sight; she practically spat at it.

"No! I do not wear frills!" Ignoring Rose again, Sonya cornered the poor girl and dragged her to a mirror.

-o.o-

Dimitri was dressed and waiting. He sat on the couch watching infomercials, hoping to get another chance to talk to Rose again. When she finally came out, with Sonya nowhere in sight, Rose looked amazing. She was wearing a frilly yellow sundress that made her look innocent. Her hair was cured in little ringlets that fell loosely over her shoulders. Rose was beautiful, but Dimitri was sure she would look beautiful in sweats too.

"Rose…"

"Hey, can we just not talk about Adrian or about you and me sleeping together?" Who's Adrian? Was he the green eyed- oh?

"Of course, Roza," Dimitri followed Rose out the door and to her white truck. They got in and Rose revved the engine. She tore out of the ranch and headed towards the main road. It was silent trip, but that was fine with Dimitri; he had more time to ogle at Rose.

Rose was watching the road with a fierce determination; she refused to make any sort of eye contact or recognize Dimitri's presence in the truck.

She pulled up next to a diner in town a few miles later. Rose didn't move from her seat though; she just stared forward at nothing. Dimitri wasn't sure what she was doing but whatever it was stressed her out.

"Dimitri, I just want you to know that… if anyone screws with you, you have my permission to punch them." She let a huff before finally kicking open her door. Dimitri followed her out and in to the diner.

The diner was nothing special, a few people were speckled around the joint, but Rose seemed pleased to see the cook and one of the waitresses.

"Oksana, Mark; how are you guys? It's been too long!" Rose embraced the waitress, Oksana, and then the cook, Mark. They seemed happy to have seen her as well.

"Well, maybe if you showed your face around here more often we'd be happier! And who is this fine young man?" Oksana directed her attention to Dimitri, who watched warily as Mark carved up a piece of meat skillfully.

"That 'fine young man' is Dimitri Belikov. He's from out of state." Rose replied supplying air quotes around the compliment. Oksana smacked the back of her head playfully.

"Rude!"

"Alright kiddo, sit down and get ready to scarf down; piping hot pancakes coming your way! What do you want to eat Dimitri?" Mark asked politely after placing a large stack of pancakes in front of Rose.

"I'll just have a cup of coffee, thank you."

They sat and ate, chattering between mouthfuls of pancake and coffee, before Rose excused herself to go and wash the syrup from her hands.

"She was always a mess maker. So, how long has it been?"

"How long has what been?"

"How long have you two been dating? We rarely get to see Rose, so we don't know much about her love life, but you two seem to be getting along just fine." Oksana smiled sweetly and Dimitri knew he had two options; either fib and agree that they were dating or kindly correct her for her mistake. The choice was obvious.

"We just met actually. You must be confused' I'm just staying there until my plane is ready to take me back to California." Oksana's blank stare worried Dimitri until she and Mark burst out laughing.

People in the diner watched the two crackup loudly and Dimitri could feel his face redden with embarrassment.

"Sure you are kiddo," Oksana winked at him before going to clear off a table.

"You're a bit old to be a kiddo; still, it's nice that Rosie has someone in her life." Dimitri looked up at Mark quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

"She hasn't told you yet? That's odd. Rose is all alone in that ranch house. It belonged to her mother, Oksana's sister, and then Rose's mother was sick for a long time. Janine died in her sleep; it was hard on Rose…"

"Where was her father?"

"Her father couldn't do much to help Rose; no one could… He passed away a few months later in an accident. Oksana and I tried to raise her, but she's very independent and stubborn. Like I said, it's good for her to have someone in her life." Dimitri sat in his chair dumbfounded still processing all of the newly acquired information. Rose was alone….

"Sorry I took so long… Syrup is really sticky! But, we have to get going. Thanks for breakfast, Mark!" Rose said as she returned from the bathroom. Dimitri looked away from Rose, not wanting to look her in the eye. Mark and Oksana were smiling like they had either heard the funniest joke ever or they won the lotto; either way their smiles were a bit much for Rose.

"Okay… bye guys…" She said unsure of what they were hiding.

"We'll see you at dinner tonight!" Mark and Oksana smiled widely at Rose.

"What? I never agreed to dinner…" Slightly suspicious, Rose looked towards Dimitri.

"You didn't, but your boyfriend did!"

**Author's Note:**

**Dimitri's in deep shit! I know its short and I apologize! I have to slowly write this because of my issues (i.e. writer's block)… Thank you for your patience!**

**Thank you to Rose-loves-Dimitri, Guest, Lil Belikov, , RozaRocks, Enchantress21, 03BonnieAndClyde, Maraloves123, Tatiana Belikova, Do'B, Belikovgoddess, lovingbites, and pd for reviewing! :) **

**Please review and thanks again for reading! Have a good weekend!**

**-Lolita**


	5. Chapter 5

"Do you want to die? What the freaking hell, Dimitri? I swear, I could just punch you right now!" She let her fist snap forward and connect with his shoulder. Dimitri pulled back to late and tried to grab her. They ended up in a tangled heap on the ground.

"Rose," He started off unsteady, "I just wanted..."

"Wanted what?" She practically barked. _Tell her, Dimitri, lay it on her. Tell her how you really feel; tell her you love her and that you want to get to know her family and how you want to know how she grew up… Not to mention, Mark and Oksana can clear up the little mystery of Adrian…_

But all that escaped him was, "Because it's a free dinner…." _Way to not sound shallow_

"I could have made you dinner! Dimitri, I'm unsure of what you want from me or Oksana or mark or Sonya, but we're honest people. We don't need any trouble." Dimitri nodded solemnly, but the two still went over to Oksana's for dinner.

-o.o-

At Oksana's home, Dimitri felt welcomed; he might as well have been in his in home. Mark waved him in from the breakfast bar and offered him a beer. Dimitri gratefully took it. Twelve minutes in Rose and Oksana were arguing on the proper way to barbeque steak, Mark was barbequing said steak and there was a knock at the door.

Oksana sprang for the door in a rush and opened it widely for her guest; Sonya had arrived. _What in the world is she doing here? She's going to mess with my plan to get Mark alone_. And true to his thoughts, Sonya refused to let Dimitri get alone with Mark.

"Sonya!" He hissed when she booty bumped him from his place in between Rose and Mark. She turned and smiled before continuing her conversation with Oksana about sock puppets.

Mark sensed his distress and sent Rose over to console him, "Hey Comrade, what's wrong? You were all smiles five seconds ago…" _Five seconds ago, I wasn't fighting to stand next to you…_

"I'm not feeling too well… Maybe Mark could show me where the bathrooms are?" Mark looked over his shoulder at the mention of his name; his brows pressed together but he shrugged and went to go show Dimitri his three bathrooms.

When Mark was heading into the master bathroom, they passed a wall of photos.

"Mark, I was hoping you could clear something up for me…"

"Oh, so you didn't have to go to the bathroom?" Dimitri grimaced, but continued on.

"No; I actually wanted to ask you about Adrian. Who is he and what did he do to Rose?" The reaction was instant on Mark's face. His smile dropped into a straight line and his carefree air stiffened.

"Adrian is… that's something that Rose would need to share with you… in her own time," Mark left Dimitri alone with the photos of Rose's past.

Several of them consisted of a younger version of her with her parents all smiling with the horses in the background; and then there were a few of Rose and Adrian. One looked to have been taken when they were fourteen; they were both smiling widely and Adrian held Rose tightly. Another was of the two when they were sixteen and they were at a dimly lit restaurant with small smiles. The last one made Dimitri's heart ache; Rose and Adrian were sitting together on the porch swing. Rose had her head resting on Adrian's shoulder and his arms were wrapped around her; they both appeared to be asleep.

I do not like Adrian.

"Adrian was a good man." Dimitri jumped at the sound of Sonya's voice. She was staring at the pictures with a hollowness that seemed to be more than just longing. "It's time you get back; the steak is done and Rose would hate to see these pictures."

Dimitri went back with Sonya. The rest of the night was a bore; he tried to get something out of both Oksana and Sonya, but both told him to ask Rose. And what if Rose decides to not tell me who he is?

Rose drove Dimitri back to her house when dinner was finished and the dishes had been cleaned. Dimitri could see Ryder, Storm, and Midnight clomping in their stalls at the sound of their approach. Rose shushed them goodnight and went inside.

Dimitri stood outside the door, staring at everything before taking a deep breath and joining Rose; he did not like Adrian.

**Author's Note:**

**Short? Yes! But there is another chapter right here! :) I hope you enjoyed the extremely short chapter…**

**So, there were people who loved Mark/Oksana and Sonya; I think I made them a little crazier than I should have… And then there were people who were very curious about Adrian and what he did. Do not fret!**

**Next chapter will involve info on Adrian (kind of), Abe, and Rose in general. That and Tasha's daring anger fest of angst and terror; run away all those who dare to wear pink! xD**

**-Lolita**


	6. Chapter 6

Dimitri woke up from his place beside Rose and stifled a yawn. He looked down to see her hair fanned out across their pillow; he loved the sight of Rose. She was soft, kind, and gentle unlike the harshness of the city life he'd grown accustomed to. Dimitri wanted nothing more than to drop his job at Trinity Affair's, but he needed the money for his family back in Baia. He was willing to deal with all of Tasha's issues to help provide for his family.

But still, the thought of waking up to Rose every morning was tempting. He brushed stray strands from her beautiful face and placed a light kiss on her cheek before getting up to check his phone. He's missed thirteen calls all from Tasha. Sighing, Dimitri checked on the plane's flight plan; he still had a few more days before the hunk of metal could be back in the airs. Again, Dimitri didn't mind; more time with Rose. He went back into her room to find her rubbing her eyes and yawning loudly.

"Goof Mornish…"she sighed happily. Rose stretched, reaching her hands up and away from herself, flashing Dimitri a quick peek at her flat stomach and the barest bottom of her chest. Dimitri's cheeks flushed at the thought of getting caught.

"See something you like, Comrade?" Rose sauntered off in the direction if the kitchen when Dimitri didn't answer; instead he followed her silently. She started pulling out bowls and milk when Dimitri caught on; she was going to make cereal. _Not on my watch._

"I've got this; why don't you sit in the living room and I'll make you something."

"You cook?"

"You'd be surprised." Dimitri grinned at the doubtful look on Rose's face. He turned to put back the bowls and milk and then turned again to find Rose perched on the counter top watching him.

"I want to see you cook…" She whispered; Dimitri shook his head and gathered the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, eggs, and vegetable oil from the pantry and a few cupboards.

He was in the middle of assembling the ingredients in a bowl when Rose hopped down and stopped him. Silently, Rose took the flour from him and put it in another bowl before putting a lid on it and slamming the container on the counter.

"It helps loosen it," she smiled up at him and Dimitri's heart swelled. Rose was indeed beautiful, and it was hurting him. Dimitri leaned in and stole a kiss from Rose before going back to the eggs. Rose stood staring at him with her mouth agape before returning the flour to him.

He went on making the pancakes, but he could feel Rose's gaze on the back of his neck; she was staring him down. _I kissed her, I kissed her! I can't believe I kissed her!_

When the pancakes were slowly cooking on the griddle, Dimitri turned to face Rose again. She looked like she was hiding a secret and it was piquing Dimitri's interest.

"What are you hiding?"

"You'll have to find out…" Dimitri walked closer to Rose and she sprung. Her arms looped around his neck and her legs curled around his waist; Dimitri held her steady as Rose's lips explored Dimitri's. She tasted like mint and Dimitri wanted more.

He pushed her back against the counter top and leaned in until Rose was lying down on top of it. Her hands grasped at his hair, pulling it out of its ponytail and tangling it in her fingers. His right hand cradled the back of her head, while the other explored her side. She wiggled in his hold before moaning at the warm feeling settle in her stomach.

"Dimitri… the pancakes…" she gasped between stolen kisses.

"Screw… the… pancakes…"

"They're… burning…" Dimitri let Rose go, and sure enough they were burnt to a crisp. Dimitri let Rose go to save the pan, which was now blackening, and threw it all in the trash. Rose stood behind him grinning.

"And you said you knew how to cook; my, my Dimitri. It looks like I have a liar in my house!" Rose lifted herself to the tips of her toes and kiss Dimitri lightly. She then turned and motioned for Dimitri to follow her outside.

"Where are we going?"

"I want to show you what you'd miss if you went back to California; because I think I want you to stay here… with me." Dimitri smiled and followed Rose to the horses. Storm, Ryder, and Midnight all whinnied when they heard the footsteps and Ryder immediately started to back out into Rose's side. He bumped into her and whinnied again.

"Alright Dimitri, you'll be riding this big baby and I'll be on Storm." Dimitri nodded and moved towards the younger looking stallion with soft chestnut brown hair. Storm was a very bright white mare who was rumbling around in the stall next to Ryder's. They both hopped onto their respective horse and Rose led the way.

Past the horse stables, the flowerbeds, and the orchard, just behind the corn field was a large beautiful serene glassy lake. It looked like it went on for miles, and Dimitri was in awe. They unsaddled from the horses and stood near the edge of the lake.

"This is where I spent most of my childhood. I know you heard bits and pieces of my past from Sonya, Mark, and Oksana… I wanted to know if you wanted to hear it from my perspective though…"

"Of course, Roza," Dimitri's hands held Rose's face towards him, "I will always be here for you."

-o.o-

"_Rose, sweetheart, watch out!" Janine Hathaway called to her daughter. Rose was up to no good again, but Janine made sure that the horses were nowhere close enough to kick her baby girl._

"_Sweetheart, the horses get spooked real easy. Remember what I told you to do if you wanted to walk behind a horse?" Rose chimed out a 'yes mommy'. Janine smiled at her daughter before picking her up and heading inside._

_Abe sat in the kitchen with piles of paperwork and his cell phone pressed to his ear; Daniella was yelling at him again. Janine didn't pause when she heard the crackling of Daniella's voice over the phone; she set Rose down on the counter while she fished out a water bottle. From the couch, Adrian waved to Rose._

"_Hey! Rose, sit next to me! They're going to play Finding Nemo!" Rose made an impatient noise towards both Abe and Janine. Janine had left to go finish grooming her horse, which left Abe to transport his daughter from counter to couch._

"_Alright baby girl, come here!" He held his arms out and caught her when she flung herself towards him. Abe gently sat her down next to Adrian who instantly snuggled into Rose's side. They sat together in peace watching their movie._

-o.o-

_Something had happened to Janine and Abe could feel it in every bone in his body. His wife looked weaker and was exhausted more than usual. Rose had yet to notice it, but it would only be a matter of time when she did; even Adrian knew. _

_He became more supportive and helpful, until Daniella came to pick him up in a huff._

"_Ibrahim, Adrian deserves to be a part of the Ivashkov business and family. You are denying him that right by not selling Nathan his fair share of the company."_

"_It was never his company, Daniella. The sooner your fool husband realizes that the better!" Abe stormed away, picking up Adrian and slinging him into his arms. "He'll be staying with us."_

_That night Rose snuck into Adrian's room and slipped under the covers._

"_I had a bad dream…" her voice shook in the darkness._

"_What was it about?" Adrian's arms secured themselves around her shoulders, pulling her into a reassuring embrace._

"_Mommy and daddy were gone and you left me all alone…"_

"_That will never happen!" A sudden fierce protectiveness came over Adrian. He loved Rose and would do anything to keep her fears at bay. "It'll be okay Rosie, I promise you."_

_Janine had been admitted to the hospital the very next morning._

-o.o-

_After a very long thirteen months, Janine was allowed to go home. Rose ran straight into her arms wailing and trying to hold her mother tighter. Oksana was the next person to embrace Janine._

"_Dear lord Janine! Were you trying to scare the marbles out of us?" Janine just smiled back and held onto Rose even tighter._

"_I love you my little Rosebud." _

_Everything was okay for the first few hours, but again Janine grew tired and asked if Rose could sit with her in the room. Adrian and Rose sat next Janine, watching her eyes flutter shut and her breath even out. They sat silently until Adrian shouted._

"_Someone; Janine isn't breathing anymore!" Rose jumped to her feet, crying again, trying to reach for her mother._

"_Mommy!" She wailed until Abe barked at Adrian to take her out. Mikhail and Sonya brought both of them outside for fresh air. They stayed near the edge of the lake while the ambulance came ripping through the ranch. With all of the commotion going on, a crowd had attracted from around the gates._

_Daniella eventually made her way through the crowd shouting for Adrian. He looked up to see her worried eyes looking over him, "Oh, I was so worried! Come here!"_

"_Can you try to show some remorse for Rose? She just lost her mother!" Daniella threw a disgusted look towards the little five year old girl._

"_Why should I? She's just a filthy Hathaway. Come on Adrian." They broke into shouts. Abe was trying to handle Rose screaming while both Mark and Mikhail were trying to restrain Oksana and Sonya from scratching Daniella's eyes out. _

"_Adrian! You promised! You said you wouldn't go!"_

"_Rose!"_

-o.o-

_She sat at the lake watching the sun slowly dip behind the hills. The landscape was engulfed in utter darkness, but she still sat there quietly. Three months had gone by since her mother's passing; a lot had changed…_

_Her father had decided it was time to sell off the horses and the ranch and leave Golden Valley, but that was the one thing Rose dreaded the most. Oksana promised to buy the ranch so Rose could one day come back, but there was nothing anyone could do for the horses especially Buria. Buria was her mother's horse and she didn't get along with anyone but Janine and occasionally Rose. Lately though, Buria had been more secluded and protective of herself. She had nailed Uncle Mark in the knee, effectively crippling him. Rose's father was not pleased with Buria after that._

_Rose got up from the lake and walked towards the house; she wanted to say good-bye to Buria before she was shipped off. Instead of seeing the unsteady mare refuse to go, Rose was met with the sight of Buria on her back hooves; the front ones were raised high above Abe's head._

"_Daddy! Look out!" Abe turned to see Buria's hooves come down on him. They connected with his abdomen and ribs. Rose scrambled forward trying to move her father, unconcerned for her own safety. Mark hobbled over to snatch Rose before Buria brought her hooves down again._

_Rose struggled in Mark's grasp and screamed for her father, but he wasn't moving._

"_Sonya, call the ambulance! Mikhail take Buria and leash her up in the back." Oksana took Rose from Mark and rocked her silent. Rose was now an orphan…_

-o.o-

_Over the years Adrian would show up from time to time. He'd stay in the guest room when he visited. His visits were usually short and consisted of few laughs and lots of yelling. But he still came back; up until her eighteenth birthday._

"_Don't you dare come back! I don't ever want to see your face again. Get out of here you piece of shit!" She had flung those words so violently at Adrian, he hadn't made an appearance since; that had been four years ago…_

-o.o-

"Rose… I'm so sorry."

"You couldn't have known. I want… I want to do something with you, just for tonight."

"Anything."

"Sleep with me out here?"

"Of course, Roza"

**Author's Note:**

**Hopefully this makes up for the previous short chapter :D Anyways, I'd like to say thank you to RozaRocks, XxXLost-In-The-CrowdXxX, Rose-loves-Dimitri, Guest, 03BonnieAndClyde, Enchantress21, acr421, Do'B, and Belikovgoddess. **

**You guys are fantastic and thank you to all those who read this as well!**

**-Lolita**


	7. Chapter 7

Illuminating the night was the crystal moon, reflecting off of the glass lake and coloring everything beneath it. Beneath the stars laid Dimitri and Rose. She was curled into his chest, hands clutching his shirt in fists. Rose wasn't asleep like Dimitri; she wanted to enjoy the moment while thinking about what Sonya had whispered to her at Oksana and Mark's…

"_Rose, I believe you may have someone watching you…"_

"_He really does like you Rose…"_

The words were on a constant replay in Rose's mind. Dimitri liked her; _or well, Sonya thinks that Dimitri likes me…_Rose sighed heavily into the fabric of Dimitri's shirt. _Would you stay here, with me, if I asked?_

It was such a silly thought, but Rose didn't want this moment to ever end.

-o.o-

Under the canopy of the sun, Dimitri yawned softly. He lifted his head up to see the pallet of gold, rose, and ginger mixing in the sky. The sky lit up Rose's hair in a soft halo, while free strands framed her face. Dimitri let his hand caress her cheek before sliding down to cradle her chin.

Her eyes fluttered open reluctantly, but as she saw his face she let her mouth widen into a smile.

"Good morning," she mumbled roughly, still trying to regain consciousness. They laughed and snuggled again under the sun.

"I don't want to get up… carry me?" Dimitri nodded before swinging Rose onto his back. Her legs wound around his waist and she rested her chin on his shoulder. His hands held her hands firmly as they hung loosely over his shoulders. Rose buried her face in the crook of Dimitri's neck.

"Hey, I'm hosting a little girl's birthday today… Do you want to help?"

"Of course, I'll help you." Rose smiled, resting her head back down on his shoulder. From there, he carried her back to the house and dropped her onto the counter. Rose smiled at him tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before leaning in to kiss him.

-o.o-

Dimitri watched Rose from the horse run. She had asked him to run Ryder while she attempted to prepare snacks for the party. While the attempting had begun the mess had started to form around her. He laughed when he saw her struggling with the blender.

I wish I could stay here forever…

Dimitri turned back towards Ryder, enjoying the horse's playful eagerness. He trotted about, tail flicking this way and that. Ryder stopped and looked over Dimitri's shoulder whinnying softly.

"You're a natural." He turned to see Rose leaning against the side of the run, smiling gleefully. Dimitri crossed the space between the two of them and swiped his thumb across her cheek. He brought it back to his face before licking it off.

"Mmmm… Chocolate," Dimitri leaned in for a kiss when they were promptly interrupted. They heard wolf whistles come from the gates. Sonya, Mark, and Oksana erupted into laughter when Rose reluctantly left Dimitri to help them bring everything indoors.

In Sonya's arms were boxes with items hanging out, mostly art supplies. In the box Mark held contained the baking equipment needed by Rose and Oksana. Dimitri joined the group, automatically reaching out to help Sonya with the boxes.

"Get your mitts out of here! I'm not old and fragile." Sonya smacked Dimitri's hand away and looked he looked embarrassed when the rest began to laugh.

"Thank you sweetie; we'll be in here if you need us," Rose smiled back at Oksana but blushed when she heard Sonya mutter under her breath, "Go make me some grandkids."

Rose led Dimitri into the house and started to set everything up. Not ten minutes later the birthday, girl was there.

"Watch out, the kid has sticky fingers…"

-o.o-

Turns out Natalie Dashkov had extremely sticky fingers. Dimitri and Mark had been assigned with the task to watch over everything and make sure Natalie didn't run off with the good silverware… again.

The kid was a built in compass leading her straight for pricey objects. Ten seconds of her being in the house and Oksana's watch left her purse and was latched snuggly to Natalie's wrist. Natalie's aunt didn't even bother to stop the little girl from destroying Rose's closet. Eventually, she settled down with a box of really glittery metal tiaras.

"I am so very sorry about her. I'm surprised you agreed to host her party here…" Rose shrugged and went back to applying brightly colored pink frosting to the white cupcakes.

Ellen sat back in her chair, quietly observing Rose. The rest of the girls appeared like clockwork. From outside they could hear the girls squealing loudly. She looked back to see Sonya instructing them to act like crazy monkeys.

Better not spook the horses…

"He'll be here later… Rose?" She hadn't been listening to what Ellen had been saying though it was easy to figure.

-o.o-

Sonya was heading back into house when he got the call. Dimitri turned to see Mark taking over before answering. On the other side of the line he could hear shouting.

"News flash! Avoiding Tasha's calls like a death sentence. Quit being such a wuss and back over here!"

"So you '911'ed me to tell me the obvious?"

"I don't know what you've been doing, or smoking, but Tasha's on a rampage! I value my life and more importantly, my job. I thought you did too man…" Dimitri could feel Mark staring at him with concern, so Dimitri turned his back to him and walked inside. He managed to side step Ellen, Rose, and Oksana easily.

"Christian, I understand. But what's here is something more and I want to-"

"Yeah, I got it, but what happens when she gets tired of you? You barely know this chick. Listen… I got to go. Just know your time to be carefree is coming to an end." The line cut off and Dimitri let out a heavy sigh.

-o.o-

It was busier than usual. The office was unnecessarily crowded with interns and others. Tasha was sitting in her office alone, stabbing a single pencil into the finish of her desk as she had been doing for awhile now. Christian sat at his desk, expression dark as he stared at his phone.

_Dimitri you idiot…_

"Was that really okay? Natasha is-"

"Right now Tasha can go screw herself. As much as I want, we need, Dimitri back, he's probably better off there; wherever there is. Besides, all Tasha is capable of doing is making his life hell with her huge massively suffocating crush she has on him. Again, he's better off there…" Christian leaned back against his chair and let his head fall.

Meredith was at the photocopier, Tatiana and Avery whispering about the newest _Trinity Affair_ magazine cover, and Mason was doing only God knows what. Though they seemed relaxed, he could tell they were tense and nervous. Christian turned back to Lissa, who was picking at the corn in her salad on top of his desk.

"We seriously need Dimitri back. I think I saw Avery sweating."

**Author's Note: **

**I have an explanation! I am a very bad person who doesn't know how to listen to her parents! That's the main reason why I haven't updated, and because my computer hates me, school is trying to brainwash me and I'm kind of lazy x)**

**So, there are a lot of questions and I don't think any of them were answered in this short little chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to update with another chapter soon. **

**The main questions I see involve Adrian like what he did to piss Rose off, who he is, and if he'll make an appearance. Then there was the one about after Abe's death who watched Rose and then what will Dimitri do about his employment. **

**Sadly, those questions will not be answered here, but in the upcoming chapters. Thank you for your patience and you'll (hopefully) be glad to know that I will not abandon this story. I will finish it even if it kills me; though I probably won't die from writing… it'd be the homework that would kill me. The woes of a high schooler… **

**Thank to all of you that read and reviewed! XxXLost-In-The-CrowdXxX, RozaRocks, Tatiana Belikova, Roe-loves-Dimitri, Rozalie Hathaway Belikova, katy, Do`B, 03bonnieandclyde, Guest 1, Guest 2, Angel lovette, and Victoria Marie Dragomir THANK YOU! That was a mouthful c:**

**Enjoy this little snippet to the next chapter!**

**-o.o-**

"**Adrian? Of course I miss him, but why should I be the one responsible? He made his choices and I made mine. So please, Sonya, butt out of it." Rose turned from Sonya and slumped into the empty armchair. The day had taken a lot out of her, and she didn't want to deal with Sonya's questions right now. **

"**You listen hear, young lady. It isn't fair to either of the boys. If you really like Dimitri be honest with him. Tell him what happened. Otherwise, it'll blow up in your face."**

**-o.o-**

**That's just a sorry for being a lazy bum. Thanks again!**

**-Lolita**

**PS: I have an original story on fiction press, check it out! Same author name! Please read it and tell me your honest opinion!**

**PSS: City of Bones is COMING!**


	8. Chapter 8

When the line disconnected, Dimitri found himself dropping onto Rose's bed. The carpet was beginning to slip out from beneath him. His world was bigger than just ditching the job for 'some girl' on a whim. He had worked hard for Dragon Corp. He had put up with the tyrant so that his family in Baia could send Viktoria to college. Dimitri was letting that 'some girl' distract him.

"Sounds like they really need you… What are you going to do?" Dimitri turned his head slightly to see Sonya leaning up against the frame of the door. Her wild curls had been tucked into a messy bun, her clothes covered in glitter, and face void of all emotion. Dimitri sighed before turning fully to face her.

"I'm not exactly sure." Dimitri said, choosing his words carefully, "I'd like to stay, but I don't think it's for the best. Like Rose said, you're all good honest people."

"What and you're not?" Sonya rolled her eyes before continuing. "When I first met Mikhail, he was a no name travel agent with a crooked past. I was, and still am, a small town girl. I had no desire to go out into the big city. Golden Valley has everything I could ever want. Mikhail understood that.

We bought my parent's inn after they passed and we built a life up here. We started out just like you and Rose are now. I have confidence that both of you will see the beauty of your relationship and stop being stupid idiots." Sonya left Dimitri alone to his thoughts and rejoined the rest of the group.

Sighing again, Dimitri thought of the future he wanted. _Stupid idiots?_

-o.o-

The party had been uneventful. Girls dressed up and ran around like howler monkeys with sparkles. Rose reluctantly let them all climb atop of Ryder for a photo op. The party only livened up when Sonya dragged Dimitri outside wearing a cheesy Prince Charming costume. Natalie was quick to claim the birthday knight though, banishing Rose and all the other girls to sit with Mark.

But it died down eventually and Ellen even helped clean up the glittery mess. Natalie's father showed up too, picking up his squealing daughter and looking like father of the year.

Rose could feel all three sets of eyes gauging her reaction to such a lively father/daughter moment. Rose groaned and shooed Sonya, Mark, and Oksana back into cleaning. Dimitri kept his eyes on Rose as she approached the father. He was a charming man whose hair was graying before its time. His cane helped support the added weight if his daughter, but he still looked strong.

"Rose, it's been too long. I've always wondered how you would have grown." His low gravely chuckle turned into a short lived coughing fit. Rose had placed her hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"It has been too long, Mr. Dashkov."

"Please, Victor. Thank you for watching over my Natalie. She can be a bit much, but you never cease to amaze her or me for that matter." He grinned again before walking back to his car, Rose following closely behind.

"Don't get so jealous Dimitri. He's only going to speak with Rose in private. He doesn't want us to know what we already know." Mark clapped Dimitri's shoulder before picking up pieces of a scattered piñata and its candy filled insides.

Dimitri turned back towards Mark, "What do we already know?" Dimitri tried to look noncommittal by aimlessly sweeping confetti.

"What Sonya, Oksana, and I already know. We like to snoop around." He grinned then, making himself seem much younger. "Anyways, I know this topic has been really hush-hush around you, but Adrian asked Victor to keep an eye on Rose. In return Victor keeps Rose partially updated. Sometimes they meet, mostly they don't. Victor likes to observe from afar." Mark went back into the house.

Ryder, who had not been brought back into the stables, snorted and nudged Dimitri's shoulder.

"Seems like everyone wants to keep me in the dark about Adrian…" Ryder whinnied in agreement.

-o.o-

Rose waved Victor and Natalie off before heading back to the house. She went to leash Ryder back to the stables, when she saw Ryder already tied in snuggly. Patting his behind, Rose leaned against the side of the stable. Sonya had hitched a ride with Mark and Oksana, and Dimitri was already back inside their… her room.

Her heart swelled with the sight of Dimitri snoring softly into her pillow. At the tips of his long hair were sprinkles of rogue sparkles.

_Tomorrow; I'll tell him tomorrow. _

-o.o-

Flickers of light woke up the snoozing couple. Rose was pressed into Dimitri's side, where he held her there firmly with one arm. His face was tucked into her hair, a small smile donning his face.

"Dimitri, hey big guy… Comrade…! The house is on fire…" It was only till Rose slapped his ass did she get a reaction. Dimitri pulled her closer and laughed into her hair.

"Hey, we've got to talk,"

"That's never a good thing." Dimitri groaned. He was sitting up now, letting Rose feel the chill without his warm body beside hers.

"It's not always bad…"

"Nine times out of ten it is." Rose sat up with him. She took his arm and pressed her lips against his bicep.

"I promise it'll be the one time out of ten where it isn't bad at all. I just think we should talk a little… Like play a game to get to know each other better…"

"What did you want to know?"

"Why you're in Golden Valley, why you're still here…" Dimitri's glum expression brightened.

"Well then, that counts as two questions." Rose's stomach let out a faint growl, "And we'll continue over breakfast, just no more pancakes."

They smiled before getting up. Rose turned to grab a tank and a pair of shorts before thinking better of it. She reached for her red sundress and shooed Dimitri out of the room.

Dimitri, sporting a grey v-neck and a pair of dark blue jeans, padded into the kitchen in search of his laptop. Sonya had gotten him thinking last night. Dimitri planned to ride out his job until Tasha fired him in an angry fit. Until then, he'd work from afar.

He returned Avery's frantic emails and sent a revised article back to Christian. He tried to read over a complaint sent in from Tatiana, but Rose had walked into the kitchen.

"Okay, so do you want to have this discussion over soggy cereal or burnt toast?"

"I can make an omelet?" He offered, eyeing Rose. She laughed openly and set down the bread.

"You spoil me!" She sat down where Dimitri got up and shut his laptop respectfully. "So how is this twenty questions game going to work? Because I have way more than twenty questions for you." Dimitri looked up from the carton of eggs.

"You can decide, though I doubt you even have fifteen questions." He gave her a cheeky grin, eyes bright.

Rose pursed her lips before choosing her words. "Okay, so I just ask you all my questions and you just answer after?" Dimitri nodded hesitantly.

"Who are you, why are you here, what do you want from me?" Dimitri tried to contain his smile when Rose fired off her first three questions.

"My name is Dimitri Belikov, senior editor to the _Trinity Affair_ magazine. I'm here to get my luggage that stowed away on another flight. Earlier all I wanted from you was a place to stay until another flight to California rolled in. Now I want your love and affection. But if you want to take me to your leader, it'd be much appreciated."

Dimitri ducked to avoid getting creamed by the bag of bread. Rose's cheeks were pink and hot from embarrassment as she realized how her questions sounded like she was interrogating a Martian.

"Haha, yuck it up; it's your turn you know!" Dimitri thought about what he was going to ask. Obviously he wanted to know more about Adrian, but he wasn't going to open with that.

"Well… where did you go for college? Did you have a boyfriend? Have you ever been in love before?"

"Right into the heavy stuff I see," Dimitri instantly regretted it, "Just kidding. I went to a community college and got my bachelor's in education; I've always wanted to be a small town teacher. I dated a few guys through high school. Only thing I know about love is that it hurts, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing."

Dimitri smiled at Rose's answer. He unloaded the raw eggs, cheese, and veggies into the pan while they continued to ask and answer questions.

Dimitri found out that after her parents died, Rose stayed with Oksana and Mark. Sonya and Victor kept the ranch till Rose had gotten older. Rose also had an attitude as a child and wound up in a lot of fights. Dimitri was glad to have met Rose as an adult rather than a rambunctious teenager. And although Dimitri didn't ask the burning question of who Adrian was, he did manage to ask about what Adrian did.

"He brought home a tramp on my birthday and then suggested we all 'dance with no pants' to celebrate my coming of age. A lot of things led up to that though…. I regret kicking him out… and I really do miss him." Surprisingly though, Dimitri wasn't jealous. Adrian was just a guy who posed no threat to Rose. She hadn't seen him in years. And so what if they checked up on each other? They weren't together.

In return for Rose spilling her guts to him, Dimitri told her about how he was foolish enough to fall for his best friend's sister.

"So you once thought you loved your friend's sister? She then gave you a job… and now she terrorizes you and your coworkers? She doesn't sound so loveable," Rose snorted sarcastically.

"Hey, don't judge. I was young and stupid. Tasha had been normal once upon a time." They looked at each other disbelievingly and burst into fits of laughter.

"Okay, okay. I think I'll leave you to your work now. Tell Tasha her number one fan said hi!" She left to go walk the horses, but the smile Dimitri had caused was still hanging on her lips.

Dimitri settled in and focused on his work load. Thankfully it hadn't consumed his entire day, just the better part of his morning and a few afternoon hours. When he finally logged off for the day, Rose was in the living room accompanied by Sonya.

He peered in from the kitchen to see both girls facing away from him. They seemed to be having an argument.

"Adrian? Of course I miss him, but why should I be the one responsible? He made his choices and I made mine. We both have to live with it." Rose huffed and sunk deeper into her chair. Sonya stood up so that she was facing Dimitri now, but her eyes stayed on Rose.

"You listen here young lady; it isn't fair to either of the boys." Looking Dimitri in the eye, Sonya continued, "If you really like Dimitri, be honest with him. Tell him what _really_ happened. Otherwise, it'll blow up in your face." Rose slumped down further in her chair. Dimitri turned the corner and commented on the reality show that had been running in the background.

_Was she really not telling me the truth about Adrian earlier?_

**Author's Note:**

**It's almost been three whole months… Don't hate me! I'm going to try to give you awesome readers an updated chapter by next week! **

**Long story short, I hated the original chapter and scrapped it and tried to rewrite something much more decent, but I couldn't. Then I went missing for an entire month. Within that month, a reviewer had commented and I decided instead of sitting on my butt hating the old chapter, I should actually write the new one. And there you have it, this was born.**

**Warning for the next chapter… LANGUAGE… **

**Thank you to Victoria Marie Dragomir, XxKatyBelikov-HathawayxX, RozaRocks, Do'B, and LexiBelikov4ever for your awesome reviews! And thank you to everyone who read the last chapter!**

**Thanks for reading this chapter too! :)**

**-Lolita**


	9. Chapter 9

Was she not telling the truth about Adrian earlier?

-o.o-

"Hey… Dimitri, won't you come with me?"

After their lunch, Rose managed to convince Sonya to clean up while she cornered Dimitri.

"Of course… where would we be going?" Rose just took Dimitri's hand in hers and tugged him out of the house and to her truck.

The drive was silent save for the truck's radio playing a static-y version of Jason Aldean's 'Fly Over States'. Looking across the space to Rose, he saw her face illuminated by the fading sun. Strands of her hair caught in the dying light, and it was then that Dimitri realized why he hadn't left, why he hadn't even checked to see if there was another flight to California… _Rose_

"Hey, we're here…" Dimitri looked out the passenger window to see an open field followed by a serene lake; the same lake where they had fallen asleep together.

Dimitri looked back to Rose who was already exiting the truck. Her face bore another smile.

"You coming or what?" Dimitri eagerly joined her outside, but still was confused.

"Don't you trust me lover boy?"

The sun's reflection was mirrored perfectly by the lake's glassy surface. Rose moved to the back of her truck and pulled herself into the bed of the truck. Her legs swung off the back as she beckoned to Dimitri. He sat beside her and watched as she cracked open a red cooler full of glass bottles. She offered one to him before taking a swig out of her own.

With the sun dipping behind the trees, the sky soaked up the remaining splatters of color.

"I lied, you know… to you… about why I kicked Adrian out…" Dimitri looked down at Rose. Her head was bent over her beer and she looked distressed, "I never really cared about him being a man whore. I… the thing I couldn't…" Rose was unable to catch her words.

"He was never there! That was all I ever really wanted. But his attention was always somewhere else! He couldn't be bothered with the funeral, or showing up for holidays! He couldn't be bothered with me…"

Dimitri sat silently watching Rose's trembling body. The air tasted chilled with her outburst. "You wanted to come out here to say that?"

"We always came here as kids… We played in the lake and I miss it… I miss him. Some days I just wish I could redo everything. To fix this mess I've created; I'd give anything…" Rose took another swig of her beer before slamming the bottle back down at her side.

With her cheeks flushed and lips parted, she just looked even more tempting. Her face was set in a soft smile, like a mother who watches over her newborn, and Dimitri leaned over to stroke her cheek.

"How do you look so beautiful all the time?" His head was cocked to the side, as if he really didn't know the answer. She looked up to him, surprised, and then smiled again.

"I'm hardly beautiful Dimitri.

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met." He said it with a firm tone, causing Rose to blush and look away. She pushed herself off of the bed of the truck and landed softly on her feet. Her dress fluttered about her gracefully before settling down by her thighs. Dimitri kept his gaze low, trying to not embarrass himself in front of Rose and reached out to hold her hand.

Instead of letting him take her hand, Rose dodged it and stood up on the tips of her toes. She used her hands to cup Dimitri's face and let her lips touch his.

The fluttering in Dimitri's chest stopped and he felt that the world was finally giving him a chance.

"I think I love you…"

"I know I love you" Dimitri pushed Rose's hands away from his face and held them tightly in his. He backed her up into the truck and kissed her passionately, getting a strong reaction from Rose. She let out a moan and turned away from Dimitri trying once again to hide her blush; she felt as if her heart was going to leap out from her chest.

"Dimitri, please… my beer?" He laughed at himself into collarbone before handing her beer over. Rose slid out from between him and the side of the truck. But she didn't get far before Dimitri's arms wrapped around her waist.

She looked up questioningly but only saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. He lifted her up and carried her into the lake. The water was past his waist, soaking his jeans thoroughly, before he finally threw her body. Rose splashed down and came sputtering up.

"You- you ass! I'm gonna make sure you regret that!" She pushed into him and tackled him into the water. They splashed each other until the sun finally set, leaving them with a sky full of stars. Shivering their asses off an hour later, the hung their clothes up on a tree limb and huddled together in the cab of the truck.

Dimitri smiled over at Rose, who wore nothing but a lacy black bra and matching panties. From her beautiful face to her loving gaze straight down to her graceful walk; Rose was a goddess, and Dimitri wanted her to know that.

He had spent a good couple of days with this desert princess and he felt confident that she felt the same way about him. And on that note, he sucked up any hesitation and lifted her into his lap. She looked at him and smiled. They kissed to the music of Rose's shit radio and fogged up the windows.

What was remaining of her clothes was torn off in a hurry. Dimitri held her close to his body, his flesh searing hers. Rose's hands traveled Dimitri, desperate to memorize very detail in fear that she would wake up. They both laughed gently before continuing.

They stayed with each other, slowly getting to know each other's body before loving every inch of it. There was a feeling of satisfaction and peace when they finished, wrapped in each other's arms. Rose finally felt at peace.

_Nothing could destroy this_, she thought happily, a lazy smile taking home on her lips.

-o.o-

They had fallen asleep at ten and woke in the middle of the night. Rose stretched her sore body and tensed when she found herself alone. Sitting up she saw Dimitri outside gathering their windblown clothes. He noticed her and walked back.

"You're awake," He kissed her cheek and handed her the sundress before slipping on his slightly damp jeans.

"I am," She replied equally as happy. They finished getting dressed and gathered the beers. Rose helped herself to one while watching Dimitri grab the cooler. He locked up her truck and pulled her into his arms again.

"How about we head on back to the house for round two," Rose suggested, "Loser makes breakfast?" Dimitri kissed her forehead before quickly pulling away.

She followed him determined to make it back to the house before him. No such luck though. The length of his legs and his endurance won out and he bursted through the door only to freeze a few feet from the entrance. She ran in from behind him and quickly turned to look at him with a haughty grin.

"Why'd you stop? I thought breakfast was on the line here," She said, still unsure of the vacant expression he wore.

"Rose… I've missed you."

**Author's Note:**

**Ugh… so this is not sometime last week. How the heck do people do it? They update on a schedule and I'm flailing around trying to figure it all out. Well, technically I was with my boyfriend all week :) He came out to visit me!**

**Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed! Reviewers like Kitty, Peggy, Luckylaurax, RozaRocks, Mitrioselove, Tatiana Belikova, M, XxXLostLoveGetsFoundXxX, Lesya17, tbrett29, and animelover0322! Thank you guys :3**

**Songs that I were listening to – yes I know that wasn't a proper sentence; we can't all be Richelle Mead :) 1. Somethin' 'Bout a Truck (by Kip Moore) 2. Fly Over States (by Jason Aldean) 3. Give Me Love (by Ed Sheeran) and 4. Ships In the Night (by Mat Kearny)**

**Yes those songs are boss!**

**Thanks again :)**

**-Lolita**


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